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IN THIS
ISSUE:
IMPJ RECOGNIZED FOR ROLE IN WAR EFFORT AS LIFE
RETURNS TO NORMAL
The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism was one of 30 organizations
recognized by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this week for social services
provided to residents of the north during the recent fighting with
Hezbollah. Other organizations that were recognized included the Jewish
Agency and the Joint Distribution Committee.
Representing the IMPJ at the awards ceremony were its executive
director, Iri Kassel, and Anat Hoffman, director of the movement's
Israel Religious Action Center. The special certificate (see below)
cites the IMPJ for its "commitment to social values, boundless spirit of
voluntarism, sense of national duty, unity in time of crisis, and
willingness to work day and night on behalf of the residents of the
north." For a recap of the IMPJ's wartime efforts, see
WUPJnews #225.
With the fighting now over for more than a month, northern Israel is
rebuilding and getting back to its routine. Rabbi Edgar Nof, of
Congregation Or Hadash in Haifa, writes:
“This past Shabbat we had three bar mitzvah ceremonies. Usually we have
three to four ceremonies each Shabbat, but during the war the number
dropped to one or two at the most, following many cancellations. It was
good to return to our routine.”
Certificate awarded to
IMPJ by Prime Minister Olmert
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NETANYA CONGREGATION SEEKING NEW HOME
Efforts are underway in
Netanya to secure an empty synagogue for use by Natan-Ya, the coastal
city's Progressive kehilla (congregation), after it failed to
reach an agreement with the landlord of its previous facility.
Since August, the
kehilla has held outdoor Kabbalat Shabbat services in a plaza across
from the empty synagogue, which is located in a newly built seaside
neighborhood. Many residents of the area have expressed an interest in
joining the kehilla, but the municipality would prefer to turn
the synagogue over to an Orthodox congregation – even though no such
congregation currently exists. One week, the city tried to shut down the
outdoor services, citing noise from the sound system. The following
week, members of the kehilla were back - without their musical
instruments, but with posters saying: “220 Orthodox synagogues in
Netanya, and this is ours. No more discrimination!” and “To the mayor I
say, don’t I deserve a place to pray?”
The Israel Movement for
Progressive Judaism, through the Israel Religious Action Center, is now
seeking rights to the unused synagogue on behalf of Congregation
Natan-Ya, a process that, if successful, could take a considerable
amount of time and lobbying. In the meantime, the kehilla held
High Holy Day services in a facility that is also being used by a local
Masorti (Conservative) congregation.
Rabbi Mira Raz and
congregant lead outdoor services for Congregation Natan-ya.
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“BEST
EVER” ANNUAL CONFERENCE FOR FSU MOVEMENTS
The Progressive movements
of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus recently held their 16th annual joint
conference at the Mendeleyvo conference center north of Moscow, and it
was not only the largest ever (at 135 participants), but is also being
called the best and most innovative to date.
“The most impressive
highlight," noted Rabbi Joel Oseran, the World Union's vice president
for international development, "is the fact that our movement is led by
such passionate and committed Jewish men and women. The World Union
entered the FSU 16 years ago to ensure the survival and future
development of the Jewish people in that historically rich and
significant part of the world. Step by step, we are realizing that goal
in the most profound way possible.”
A significant
innovation at this year's conference were the integrated tracks for
congregational chairs, youth leaders and the indigenous rabbinic staff,
which met as the newly established
Rabbinic Council of
the Former Soviet Union (see WUPJnews #176).
It was also the first time conference-goers could choose from among
session offerings, which, said Oseran, will now be a “regular feature of
the conference.” Oseran also said the focus shifted from matters of
movement business to education. “Our movement has matured such that we
now have ample professional teachers to lead conference sessions on
several Jewish studies topics (High Holidays, Israel, education, prayer,
politics, congregational administration, twinning, etc.).”
Other features of the
conference included an open forum in which movement rabbis fielded
questions from congregation and youth leaders; the presentation of
“achievement awards" to 25 exceptional leaders; and a salute to Zinovy
Kogan, retiring after many years as chairman of Russia’s Progressive
movement. As founder of the first Progressive kehilla in the
former Soviet Union (Moscow’s Congregation Hineini), he is called by
many the “father of Progressive Judaism in the FSU.”
“What made the conference
so successful” says Oseran, “was the fact that each and every one of
these component parts, and many others, were so well integrated into a
unified whole.” The conference, he says, reflected the “highest level to
date of professionalism, which is the true expression of where our
movement in the FSU is headed.” He specifically cited Alex Kagan,
director of the World Union’s FSU activities; Ola Markus, senior
educator of the movement in Russia; Valery Sheinin, head of the World
Union’s Moscow office; and the entire FSU professional staff as being
behind the conference’s success.
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YOUTH LEADER TELLS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE JEWISH IN
SOUTH AFRICA
The Union for Reform
Judaism recently published an article called "What is it Like to be
Jewish in South Africa?" in iTorah, a weekly feature for teens on
its Web site. It was written by Arden Finn, national mazkir (director)
of the South African branch of Netzer Olami, Progressive Judaism's
international Zionist youth movement. To view the article, click
here. For more information on iTorah, which is also
distributed to e-mail subscribers, go to
http://urj.org/enews/itorah/.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
-
Register now for
Connections 2007 – the 33rd International Convention of the World
Union for Progressive Judaism, March 15-20, 2007, in Jerusalem
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Shared Destiny – the World Union’s International
Humanitarian Awards Celebration honoring Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz,
Lorry Lokey and Joanne Harrington in San Mateo, California, October 8,
2006
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Installation of Rabbi Burt Schuman as spiritual leader of
Beit Warszawa, Poland’s first post-war Progressive community, by World
Union president Rabbi Uri Regev in Warsaw, October 20, 2006
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Special World Union
Mission to South America, November 9-20. (Adobe Reader
required for this download)
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